Download pdf - style guide - RingCentral

Brand copystyle guide

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for employees, freelancers, and partners

UPDATED 12.07.2020

INTRODUCTION COPY STYLE GUIDE

What’s inside

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Who we areWelcome

Who We Are

Who We Help

How we soundOur Voice

Our Tone

How We Speak

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How we writeWriting Tips

Style at a Glance

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Stories we tellEmotional

Educational

Actionable

ReferencesExamples

Messaging Matrix

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Web templatesProduct Overview Pages

Product Detail Pages

Industry Pages

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Introduction01

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👋 Our verbal identity is all about how our brand shows up in the world. In this guide, you’ll find out more about who we are, how we sound, and the way we write across different channels.

This style guide is designed to evolve over time.

Use it to double check that the words you use line up with who we are as a brand. It's also an easy way to ensure we're always working toward a consistent, cohesive experience for our prospects and customers.

Plus, we have a few examples to help you start writing.

Welcome!

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At RingCentral, our mission is to make communications simple and effortless for everyone.

Who we are

We free teams to work together from anywhere with all-in-one business communications and a modern contact center. 400,000

CUSTOMERS

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OUR AUDIENCES

IT leaders & corporate decision makers who focus on scale, security, and reliability

Small business owners who need simple, cost-effective tools to get work done

End users who want products that make their workday easier

Who we help

HOW WE SOUND COPY STYLE GUIDE

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How we sound

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Our voice & tone

Our voice is who we are. It’s the personality behind our words. And, most importantly, it doesn’t change.

Our tone is how we express ourselves. It adapts to different audiences and situations.

HOW IT WORKS

Think about how you might explain RingCentral to a colleague versus your grandmother. Your voice won’t necessarily change. But your choice of words, the length of your sentences, and the examples you use will—that’s your tone.

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Our voice

DependableBecause we’re the #1 trusted platform—from our enterprise-grade security to our carrier-grade reliability.

BoldBecause we’re innovators who've led the industry for 21 years—and we’re just getting started.

EmpoweringBecause we support teams big and small—our global platform makes collaboration simple and powerful.

FriendlyBecause we bring people together—after all, we’re a conversational company first.

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Our toneDependableBecause we’re the #1 trusted platform—from our enterprise-grade security to analytics and integrations.

BoldBecause we’ve innovated and led the industry for 21 years—and we’re just getting started.

EmpoweringBecause we support teams big and small—our global platform makes collaboration simple and powerful.

FriendlyBecause we bring people together—after all, we’re a conversational company first.

StraightforwardWe use clear, uncomplicated language and leave no room for doubt.

ConfidentWe respond to customers in ways that are thoughtful and direct to show our expertise.

HelpfulWe are empathetic when we speak—we’re here to make it easier for people to get work done.

ConversationalWe invite our audience to join the conversation by always being approachable.

WE SOUND WE SOUND WE SOUND WE SOUND

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StraightforwardWE SOUND

Make it useful.Make sure users have concrete takeaways. Spark an idea or lead them to an action.

Stay honest.Be authentic and avoid hyperbole by keeping your messages grounded in reality.

Keep it simple.Build trust with users by respecting their time. Always push for clarity.

Make it easy for your team. Our all-in-one workspace is designed for seamless collaboration.

EXAMPLE

From click-to-dial functionality to one-click video conferencing, everyone readily accesses the same must-have digital tools through a single, easy-to-use platform that seamlessly works across office sites and mobile devices.

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ConfidentWE SOUND

Be spirited.Use dynamic verbs to evoke a modern, smart voice.

Defy expectations.Spark curiosity with unexpected phrasing or ideas that express our unique point of view.

Keep it lively.Give your writing a pulse by speaking with confidence.

Backed by enterprise-grade security and a 99.999% uptime SLA. So your most sensitive data is protected at every step, day and night.

EXAMPLE

Experts are proactively monitoring and optimizing our platform 24/7/365, ensuring service remains at the highest level possible, with available 99.999% uptime SLA.

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HelpfulWE SOUND

Be encouraging.Lead with the product benefit rather than just the feature.

Maintain empathy.Be mindful and self-aware. Try to anticipate your audience’s next move.

Inspire more conversation.Celebrate collaboration and connection. Make recommendations from a genuine place.

Stay plugged in with a platform that keeps up with your business, no matter the time zone.

EXAMPLE

Increase productivity on a global scale by bringing your international teams together with ease.

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ConversationalWE SOUND

Be welcoming.Use language that flows like the way you speak.

Engage meaningfully.Stay focused on how we want our audience to feel.

Stay authentic.Take inspiration from real life, not an idealized version of it.

Just one streamlined experience with the tools you need to get the job done.

EXAMPLE

From the ashes of a broken system, a unified experience shall arise.

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How we speak

EXAMPLE

EXPRESSION

TARGET AUDIENCE

SPECTRUM Functional Emotional

NeutralEveryone

Product descriptions

Eyebrows

Anything with consequences.

How many people are on your team?

SupportiveIT leaders & SMB

Subheads and body copy

Button copy

Anything that needs to be introduced.

We’re here to help you stay connected.

SpiritedIT leaders & SMB

Headlines

Calls to action

Anything that can let our personality shine through.

And you thought it was just a meeting.

PlayfulEnd users (Freemium)

Campaigns

Digital ads

Whenever we want to spark curiosity.

All you need is wifi.

CONTENT TYPE

HOW WE WRITE COPY STYLE GUIDE

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How we write03

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Writing tips

Be humanWrite the way you would talk.

Be conciseUse as few words as possible.

Be inclusiveCelebrate diversity.

Stress test itCheck for understanding.

TIP 01 TIP 02 TIP 03 TIP 04

Keep these best practices in mind to make your copy compelling, clear, and conversational.

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Be humanTIP 01

Use plain language

Choose familiar words over unfamiliar ones. Write the way you would

talk.

Let our personality shine

Create a more personable approach by being sincere and delightful.

Write in the first person

Speak directly to your audience (not at them) to build a connection.

Are your words overpromising?

Can you replace any jargon with plain language, or words and concepts people are already familiar with?

Could you add more warmth?

Did you opt for contractions instead?

ASK YOURSELF

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Be conciseTIP 02

Keep it simpleStrive for clarity by making the complex simple.

Be intentionalMean what you write and makes sure every word serves a purpose.

Write in the active voiceIt gives a sense of urgency to your message, whereas passive voice can sound flat, long winded, or too formal.

Are you sacrificing clarity for cleverness?

Do you have redundant words or ideas you could cut?

Did you use the right amount of words?

Is there a way to break up complex sentence structures?

Is it scannable and digestible?

ASK YOURSELF

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Be inclusiveTIP 03

Be mindful of accessibility concerns

Including attention spans, vision, hearing, speaking, and mobility.

Use gender neutral pronouns, when applicable

Never assume.

Did you avoid using these verbs if possible?SeeViewLook forDisplay

Could these work instead?Go to (Good for links that lead to new tabs)GetBrowseCheck outFindRead

ASK YOURSELF

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Stress test itTIP 04

Complement the visualsYour writing always works alongside visual and design elements.

Weave in keywordsUse relevant SEO terms and phrases to make it direct and findable.

Remember the contextThere are levels to our audiences and touchpoints. Adjust accordingly.

Would people unlike you understand it too?

Would they find it immediately useful and clear?

Can you add more SEO keywords?

Did you read your writing aloud?

Does your reader feel seen and understood?

ASK YOURSELF

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Style at a glance

1. Use the active voice and lead with dynamic verbs.

2. Always use sentence case, where the first letter of the word is capitalized.

3. Avoid using exclamation points.

4. Avoid punctuation in sentence-case headlines.

5. Use an m dash, not a hyphen, to offset an additional thought.

6. Almost always use contractions and the first person.

7. Always use the Oxford comma, or serial comma.

8. Be concise. Try parallel structure.

9. Be consistent with branded terms for products. It’s always RingCentral, not Ringcentral, Ring Central, RC, or RINGCENTRAL. It’s always RingCentral Video, not RCV. And we sell a communications (with an “s”) platform.


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Stories we tell03

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STORIES WE TELL COPY STYLE GUIDE

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Our messaging approach

These stories often work together rather than independently (like our products) to provide a well-rounded experience. Emotional stories are more expressive than educational ones, while actionable pieces are about routing and conversions.

We tell different stories across our customer journey to attract, engage, and connect.

Emotional Educational Actionable

CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Emotional

AWARENESS EDUCATION JUSTIFICATION PURCHASE ADOPTION RETENTION ADVOCACY

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Make it resonate

PRINCIPLES

Charismatic

We write with a natural rhythm and flow to transform what could be transactional into something emotional.

● Feels easy to read aloud● Catches readers’ attention to shed new light on a topic

Relevant

We consider our users’ emotional state at every point of their journey.

● Think about how people using our products want to feel

● Less cliches, more evocative words

EmotionalstoriesWHEN TO USE

Brand: Campaigns, videos, digital ads, customer stories

ATTRACT

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Make it useful

PRINCIPLES

Simple

We use just enough words to get our point across about our offerings and services.

● No redundancies in ideas and words● No jargon or unnecessary steps● Fewest amount of words

Clear

We focus on what’s important to our audiences at any given moment in the user journey.

● Be accurate with instructions and definitions● Next steps, benefits, and features are logical

EducationalstoriesWHEN TO USE

Product Onboarding emails, datasheets, eBooks, product pages, demo videos, support articles

ENGAGE

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Make it convert

PRINCIPLES

Consistent

We want to create a seamless CTA experience across every user touchpoint.

● Connects purchase and adoption experiences● Follows all branded guidelines

Engaging

We use simple and compelling language to drive our readers to take action.

● Focuses on driving conversions● Follows recommended CTA language● Considers upsell and cross-sell opportunities

ActionablestoriesWHEN TO USE

Brand: Calls to action, sign-up flows, landing pages

Product: In-product messaging, upsell and cross-sell touchpoints

CONNECT

EXAMPLES COPY STYLE GUIDE

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References04

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RingCentral

Bring teams and customers closer together on the #1 business communications platform.

RingCentral makes it easy to get work done together with team messaging, video meetings, a modern business phone, and a cloud contact center—all built on the #1 business communications platform.

Work together. From anywhere.

HEADLINE SHORT LONG

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Glip by RingCentral

Get more done together with unlimited video meetings and built-in team messaging.

Keep the team working before, during, and after meetings with free video and team messaging. Now you can chat, meet, and share—all in one secure workspace.

Meet smarter.

HEADLINE SHORT LONG

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Business communications

Team messaging, video meetings, and a modern business phone—now in one secure app.

Work has a new home. Chat, meet, and take calls in a single, secure workspace. It’s everything you need to work together, now in one place.

Message. Video. Phone. Together.

HEADLINE SHORT LONG

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Customer engagement

Support, engage, and build better customer relationships with our omni-channel cloud contact center.

Create a better customer service experience for everyone. Our omni-channel cloud contact center makes it easy for agents to support and engage customers—no matter where work finds them.

Happy agents, happy customers

HEADLINE SHORT LONG

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Security

HEADLINE SHORT LONG

Enterprise-grade security encrypts all your meetings and conversations.

Protect your data at every level of your business. Enterprise-grade security encrypts all your meetings and conversations.

Private. Secure. Reliable.

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Reliability

HEADLINE SHORT LONG

Our carrier-grade infrastructure works day and night to keep you online, all the time.

Our industry-leading 99.999% uptime SLA means our carrier-grade infrastructure works day and night to keep you online, all the time.

Stay connected

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ONSITE ASSETS COPY STYLE GUIDE

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Calls to action

Education

Learn more >

Play video >

View demo >

Check it out >

Action

Pick a plan >

See pricing >

Get in touch >

Contact us >

Try it free >

Get started >

Get started, it’s free >

Sign up, it’s free >

Here’s a list of approved copy for buttons.

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MESSAGING MATRIX COPY STYLE GUIDE

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Messaging matrixYou can find more ways to speak about our brand here.

Grab approved headlines and short or long copy blocks covering the following categories:

● Brand● Products● Features● Platform● Industries

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gVhR_F6PYsHb8fCjfBVhMV0U16o-00GU-7-1TMXhS3A/edit?usp=sharing


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Web templates05

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Product overview pageWe want to get users to request a demo or start a free trial. It’s all about leading with our product benefits.

Get the copy wireframe template here.

What is all-in-one?

How does it work?WHAT

Overview of what it is

HOWCTA request demo / upsell /

additional routing

How can I sign up?

How can I learn more?

How can I get support?

WHYDemonstrate value of all these

services are used together

HOWCTA (persistent)How do I learn more / sign up?

Why does it matter to use together?

Why is it right for my business?

Who else uses it?

Why can I trust it?

Educational

Educational

Actionable

Emotional

Educational

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A2K0O1oVzKT0Dpx81GRLu5IbrayZ8T7WhdAB6iIwmOw/edit?usp=sharing

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Product detail pageFor a deeper dive, our PDP is designed to educate. We want users to have focused takeaways about our product features.


What is the offering?

What is included?WHAT

Overview of what it is


additional routing

How can I sign up?

How can I learn more?

How can I get support?

WHYDemonstrate value of all these

services are used together

HOWCTA (persistent)How do I learn more / sign up?

What a the features?

How does it work?

Why is it right for my business?

Who else uses it?

Why can I trust it?

Educational

Actionable

Emotional

Educational

Educational

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xS0D6vu2QJ0c-I79P8LDYTfGmq4WkhzgOe-sWr1pCjU/edit?usp=sharing

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Industry pageWe want to showcase how RingCentral is designed for every industry and any kind of team.


Why does it matter to me?

Why is it right for my industry?WHY

Why it makes sense


additional routing

How can I sign up?

How do I learn more? How can I get support?

WHAT WHYProduct features

HOWCTA (persistent)

How can I sign up?

What are the main features & benefits for my business?

Emotional

Educational

Actionable

Emotional

Educational

WHYValidation

Who else uses it?

Why can I trust it?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/144hd3n8WLIFigsU-BvZtxY_SC8dC0xXeius1vfF9T4A/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you!

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